Keteod oe pbeparljstcr shaped eipsbs



kllil PATENT GEORGE LANZENDORFEB, 0F BRAINTREE, IVIASSACHUSETTS.

IVIETEOD 0F PBEPJKRING SHAZEB FIBERS.

No Drawing. Application filed July 21, 1913.

To all whom it may com-era Be it known that l, Gnonen LANZENDOR- me, acitizen of the United States, a resident of and whose post-officeaddress is Braintree, county of Norfolk, and State of li lassachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Methods of Preparing Shaped Fibers, ofwhich the following description, in connec tion with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

T his invention relates to shaped fibers and the method of producing thesame.

In order that the principle of the invention may readily be understood,1 shall describe one embodiment of the product and the, best modes knownto me for producing the same.

An important purpose of my invention is to shape or fashion fibers toany desired form and preferably to curl the same so that they may beused for upholstery work and other purposes.

In pr ducing the described product 1 preferably employ structural fibersespecially those of the monocotyledonous class. Among such fibers I mayenumerate manila, sisal, istle, hemp, palm leaf fibers, the fibers frombromelia and aloe plants, from bamboo and ratan, and the cocoanut andthe tillandsia fibers or southern moss.

The ultimate product of my invention is a mass of tangled fibers each ofwhich is shrunk into a permanent form which is preferably a curl. I maysecure this product in several modes, but I prefer to treat the fibersin groups such as bundles or strands instead of individually treatingthem, as the latter procedure involves a more extended period ofmanipulation and hence is more costly. Any of the said modes is,however, within the scope of my invention.

In accordance with one method of practising my invention, I arrange anyof the fibers previously referred to, or any suitable mixture of them,in bundles or strands around a suitable form or mandrel so as to impartthereto a shape which determines the final set thereof. Or, if desired,the fibers may be twisted into single bundles or strands, or two or moreof such bundles or strands can be twisted together so that the twistthus imparted will determine the final form or set of the fibers. In theevent that two or more of the bundles or strands are twisted together,it will be evident that the Specification of Letters Eatent.

Serial No. 780,315.

fibers of each bundle or strand. constitute a former for the fibers ofthe other strands, thus avoiding the necessity of providing a rod or barformer toward which the fibers are wound.

I will first describe one method of practising my invention wherein thefibers, of whatever nature, are twisted into rope form, in which casethe individual fibers have imparted thereto curled'or spiral set. Inaccordance with this method the fibers are by any well known mechanicalmeans made into a sliver or strand which may be twisted upon itself or tvo or more of these slivers may be twisted together into rope. In theevent that two or more sliv are twisted together, the fibers of eachsliver will act as a former for the fibers of the other sliver orslivers, This twisting of the material into rope form imparts a certaincurl to the fibers but such curl is not permanent. In order to renderthe curl or set permanent the rope is treated with some suitableshrinking agent until it is thoroughly impregnated thereby. rrnysuitable shrinking agent may be employed, such, for example, as any ofthe caustic alkalis, such as soda, potash and the like, or any suitableacid such as sulfuric acid. lhe well known mercerizing process is welladapted for this purpose, the mercerizing agent commonly employed beingcaustic soda. The fibers shrink considerably under the action of theagent. The rope is then subjected to a washing process to remove as muchas possible of the agent and then is thoroughly dried. Tie single fibershave thus imparted thereto a final set which is the form they haveassumed in the twisted strand or rope. After the rope is dried l, by areverse mechanical operation, untwist the strands and pick or separateout the fibers individually. Each of these fibers has now a permanentspiral-like curled form. The fibers are then assembled in a tangled massand may be used for upholstery or other purposes. The product of myinvention may also be obtained by treating the fibers in the loose stateas they come from the bale or package with a suitable shrinking agent,such, for example, as caustic soda solution. The fibers are then washedto remove the shrinking agent and are then twisted into rope form eitherin a wet state or after drying the same. If the fibers are dried beforebeing twisted into rope form the rope should be thoroughly Wetted andthe subsequent drying will impart to the fibers thereof the curled shapeor set to which I have referred. The twisted rope is then untwisted inany suitable manner so as to separate the fibers individually. At anysuitable stage of the process, but preferably after the treatment of thematerial with the shrinking agent, such operations as dyeing or sizingmay be carried out.

Having thus described one illustrative embodiment of my invention, Idesire it to be understood that although specific terms are employed,they are used in a generic and descriptive sense and not for thepurposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being set forth inthe following claims.

Claims:

1. That method of imparting a permanent set to fibers which consists oftwisting a mass of fibers together, impregnating the mass with amercerizing agent, washing and drying the mass, and then reversing thetwisting operation to separate the individual fibers.

2. That method of imparting a permanent set to fibers which consists ofgrouping the fibers into a plurality of slivers or strands, twistingsaid slivers into a rope,

Copies of this patent may be obtained for impregnating the rope withcaustic soda,

washing and drying the rope and then reversing the twisting operation toseparate the individual fibers.

3. That method of imparting a perma nent set to fibers which consists intreating them in a loose state with a shrinking agent, washing thefibers, twisting a mass of the fibers together and permitting them toset, and finally separating the mass into its constituent fibers.

4. That method of imparting a permanent set of fibers which consists ingrouping the fibers into a plurality of slivers or strands, twistingsaid slivers together into a rope, so that the fibers of each sliverconstitute a former for the fibers of the other sliver or slivers,impregnating the rope with a shrinking agent and then untwisting therope into its constituent twisted fibers.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE LANZENDORFER.

five cents each, by addressing the Gommissioner of Patents, Washington,D. G.

